Elastic band powered rolling toy



March 23, 1965 N. A. KECK 3,174,254

ELASTIC BAND POWERED ROLLING TOY Filed Sept. 19, 1962 F g: l /4 0 Z2 27Z /3 m MM /4 d 29 C M gr:

INVENTOR. NORMAN A. KECK United States Patent 3,174,254 ELASTIC BANDPOWERED ROLLING TOY Norman A. Keck, 707 4th Ave, Joliet, Ill.

- Filed Sept. 19, 1962, Ser. No, 224,697

7 Claims. (Cl. 46-206) This application relates to a toy and moreparticularly to a toy of improved design of the type which can be rolledacross a surface and will return again in a counter direction.

In some respects the toy of this invention is an improvement on theinvention set forth in my Patent No. 2,814,160, dated November 26, 1957.

An object of the invention is to provide a toy having an effective andefficient drive roll for moving the toy in a back and forth direction.

Another object is to provide such a toy which can be easily constructedmd with a drive roll which is in one piece and can be producedeconomically in quantity by molding or casting.

Another object is to provide such a toy having a drive roll whichachieves good friction contact with a floor or other surface on which itmay roll.

Yet another object is to provide such a toy having a drive roll which iseasily attachable to elastic bands in the assembly of the device.

Odther objects will be apparent as the specification procee s.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the toy;

FIG. 2 is aside view;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of one end portion, the section being takenalong the line 33 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the end portion shown in FIG. 3, thesection being taken along line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but showing a modification of thetoy; and

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIGS. 3 and 5 but showing anothermodification of the toy.

As illustrated, the device includes a frame 10 in rectangular form,which may be made of wire or any other suitable material, having sides11 and 12, and ends 13 and 14.

Within the frame are the drive rolls 15 and 16. As shown, these rollsare identical. They may be formed by casting or molding, using materialssuch as aluminum, steel, rubber, or plastics.

Referring particularly to roll 15 and FIGS. 1 to 4, the roll isgenerally cylindrical and spool-like in appearance. It has a centralcylindrical body section 17 which is solid, and extending axiallythrough this section is the fastening element 18. This element may beformed of wire, and as shown in FIG. 3, has the hook 19 extending fromone end of the center section 17 and a hook 20 extending from the otherend of this center section. Along its length is a crimp 21 which is anirregularity which prevents it from slipping endwise of the centersection.

Extending from one end of the central section 17 is the frusto-conicalsection 22. The outside diameter of this section at the place it joinsthe central section is the same as that of the central section, and itsdiameter increases toward the outer end. At the outer end there is acylindrical track 23 containing an annular channel 24. This channelreceives the band 25 of friction material, such as a rubber band, whichserves as a tread for the roll.

The frusto-conical section 22 is hollow, providing a cavity 26 extendingaxially from the end of section 22 back to the center section 17. Thecavity also, is frustoconical in form.

Another frusto-conical section 27 extends outwardly 'ice from the otherend of the central section 17. This section is exactly like thefrusto-conical section 22 except that it faces in the opposite directionand extends from the other end of the center section.

An elastic band 28, which may be a simple rubber band, has its outer endconnected with the right side member 12 of the frame and has its innerend connected with the hook 19.

The roll 16 is constructed and mounted similarly to roll 15. Preferably,the axis of roll 16 is parallel with the axis of roll 15. In a sense therolls 15 and 16 constitute respectively the front and rear wheels of asimulated vehicle. By using the pair of rolls the toy is stable initself. However, only one such roll may be used and the toy stabilizedby attachment to another rollable toy.

In operating this device, a person may grasp the frame and push thedevice along a surface a distance, or give it a push so that it moves adistance along the surface by momentum. In so moving, the rolls 15 and16 rotate, causing the bands 28 and 29 to be twisted, thus bringing themunder tension. At the end of such forward movement the tension which hasbeen built up in the elastic bands moves to produce rotation of therolls and so propels the device in a counter direction, until the bandscause the device to move forwardly again, and so on, until the toy stopswith the bands untwisted or substantially so.

It may be noted that the inner attachment of the elastic bands to therolls is at points inward of the ends of the rolls and equidistant fromthe longitudinal center of the rolls. More specifically, the hooks 19and 20 to which the inner ends of the elastic bands are attached, areeach inward of the end of the roll a distance of about /a the length ofthe roll. For best results these points should be spaced apart adistance of from A to /2 the length of the roll. With its mountings sospaced, the roll may pass over bumps and irregularities in the surfaceat one or another end of the roll without disturbing the attitude of theframe, and yet there is sufficient stability that the frame is alwaysmaintained against undue rolling or pitchmg.

Further, with the friction bands at the ends of the roll positivetraction is provided, and with the bands mounted in the channelsprovided, there is assurance that the bands will not be displaced.

A modification of the device is shown in FIG. 5. This modification isthe same as that shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, except that the fasteningelement 18a extends in a non axial direction through the central section17a. In this modification the element 18a has its hook 19a near one sideof the cylinder, and has its hook 20a near the other and opposite sideof the cylinder.

In operating this modification of the toy, it will be apparent thatrotation of the roll will produce a rolling effect on the frame, oneside of the frame being urged upwardly while the other side is allowedto move downwardly, and this is followed by the opposite effect when theroll passes through Another modification of the device is shown in FIG.6. This modification is the same as that shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, exceptthat the fastening element 18b extends through the center section 1711in a direction parallel with but spaced from the axis of the roll. Inoperating the modification of FIG. 6, it will be apparent that rotationof the roll will cause the frame to bob up and down.

In the principal embodiment and in each of the modifications illustratedthe fastening element may be molded into the roll as it is formed, andthe central crimped portion serves to keep the fastening element inplace. Alternately, the end of the central section can be tapped and thehooks screwed into the tapped hole, or the fastening accomplished in anyother way desired.

Patented Mar. 23, 1965 As before indicated, the rolls 15 and 16 may bemolded of rubber, and when made of rubber it is not necessary to providethe channel 24, since the rubber itself pro vides :a friction tread atthe outer rim of the rolls.

Although in the embodiments illustrated the frame of the toy is shown asbeing formed of wire, it is a feature of the invention that the framemay be any kind .of toy or body providing sides between which the rollsmay be mounted as described.

While this invention has been illustrated and described in terms ofpreferred embodiments, those skilled in this art will appreciate thatmany changes may be made, and the invention may take many forms, allwithin the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a toy, the combination of a frame, a roll within said frame, saidroll including a central cylindrical section and frusto conical endsections extending with increasing diameter from opposite ends ofsaidcylindrical section,

said end sections having cavities extending inwardly from their outerends, an elastic band having its one end connected to said frame andhaving its other end extending into one of said cavities and connectedto said roll at a point substantially inward of the outer end of one ofsaid frusto. conical sections, and a second elastic band having its oneend connected to said frame and having its other end extending into theother of said cavities. and connected to said roll at a pointsubstantially inward of the outer end of the other of said frustoconical sections,

2. In a toy, the structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein one of saidelastic bands is connected to said roll at a point removed in onedirection from the axis of the. roll and the other of'said elastic bandsis connected to said roll at a point removed from the axis of the rollin a direction opposite said direction.

3. Ina toy, the structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein said elasticbands are connected to said roll at points equidistant from thelongitudinal center of the roll.

4. In a toy, the structure as set forth in claim 1 but including afastening element extending lengthwise through said centnal section andhaving a hook at each end which extends into said cavities so as toprovide fastening means for said elastic bands.

5. In a toy, the structure as set forth in claim 4 wherein saidfastening element has an irregularity in its central portion to preventits sliding endwise with respect to said roll.

6. In a toy, the combination of a frame, a roll within said frame, saidroll including a solid central cylindrical section \and frusto conicalend sections extending with increasing diameter axially from each end ofsaid central section, said end sections having central openingsextending axially throughout their length, an elastic band having itsone end connected to said frame and having its other end extendingthrough one of said openings and connected with one end of said centnalsection, and a second elastic band having its one end connected to saidframe and having its other end extending into the other of said openingsand connected to the other end of said centnal section.

7. In a toy, the structure as set forth in claim 6 wherein each of saidelastic bands is connected to said roll at a point removed in onedirection from the axis of the roll.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,814,160 Keck Nov. 26, 1957 FGREIGN PATENTS 142,526 Sweden Oct. 13,1953

1. IN A TOY, THE COMBINATION OF A FRAME, A ROLL WITHIN SAID FRAME, SAIDROLL INCLUDING A CENTRAL CYLINDRICAL SECTION AND FRUSTO CONICAL ENDSECTIONS EXTENDING WITH INCREASING DIAMETER FROM OPPOSITE ENDS, OF SAIDCYLINDRICAL SECTION, SAID END SECTIONS HAVING CAVITIES EXTENDINGINWARDLY FROM THEIR OUTER ENDS, AN ELASTIC BAND HAVING ITS ONE ENDCONNECTED TO SAID FRAME AND HAVING ITS OTHER END EXTENDING INTO ONE OFSAID CAVITIES AND CONNECTED TO SAID ROLL AT A POINT SUBSTANTIALLY INWARDOF THE OUTER END OF ONE OF SAID FRUSTO CONICAL SECTIONS, AND A SECONDELASTIC BAND HAVING ITS ONE END CONNECTED TO SAID FRAME AND HAVING ITSOTHER END EXTENDING INTO THE OTHER OF SAID CAVITIES AND CONNECTED TOSAID ROLL AT A POINT SUBSTANTIALLY INWARD OF THE OUTER END OF THE OTHEROF SAID FRUSTO CONICAL SECTIONS.